Sweatband



SWEATBAND Filed May 25, 1950 S. G. HOFFMAN 2 SHEETS-SHEET l cwqy' Zio-f nventor MW Gttornegs Feb- 12, 1952 s.A G. HOFFMAN SWEATBAND 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 Filed May 25, 1950 00 000 000,0 0.00000 QOQNNNNOQ b 000000 00000 00000 Snventor Ja/zg/ '6, ifo/Twan l/QQ@ Gttornegs Patented Feb. l2, 1952 y,Stanley G..

Hofman, Norwalk, Conn., assigner to Hat Corporation o f AmericaNorwalk, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application YMay 25, 1950, Serial No. 164,145.

' vThe ypressent invention yrelates to a novel sweat? -band construction for hats.

An object of the invention` is .to provide a .Sweatband which is soft and comfortable :to wear. readily conforming to. the shape of the head to fit thereon without undue pressure: and which is not permanently stretched'in so conforming to orated so as to dry it out and avoid the clammy l ieelingattenclant to Wet leather bands..

A, ieature of the invention resides .in the use of heat-sensitive thermoplastic adhesive materials to` adhere textile fabric covering tothe absorbent nad ofthe sweatband, whichheat-sensitive adhesivev when activated does notrclose the pores oftheiabrie and permits perspiration to be transmitted through the fabric tothe pad.

- 4i-further object of the invention is to provide a swegtband-which issturdy and dependable and can he.V easily and quickly` madewithout requiring any sewing or' other similar operations requiring highiy skilled help. Y

"-Qtherf featuresv and advantages of the-f inventiony will; be apparent. fromV the specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which;

Figurei shows a. sectional viewV offY ahat with the sweathand in place.

Eig. 2 shows aside view ot. the sweatband betere. install-ation in a hat.

Eig'. 3 shows. a fragmentary view of a; sweat.- hand inl accordance with. one.-v torni.: ot. the invention vri-thi a. portionbariliA to Shovti'tlfleV under-'- lyinglayers., AEig-4 is similar oi. the invention.,

pig;` anenlarged-sectional view of the sweatband secured to a hat.

For the purpose; otf describingithe present invention. ther 'Garnisv inner tace. will. be used. to describe that surface of the sweatbandcwhich is directed toward the head of the wearer when the band is in. place, the outer facef' isth-'at surface of the band which is adjacent the crowinoffthe hat; the "lcwer edge of, the band wina'he: consideretithat edge of. the .banda adiiacentthefitim, while the upper edge of the band will be the edge of the band away from the brim.,

to. Fig. ashowinganotherf form 7, claims. (ci. ,fi-181) In making thesweatband of the present invention a cover vof, woven fabric I0, such as acetate rayon1 -or other similar material, is cut to the krequired size andhape and is coated on the back witha thermoplastic adhesive indicated at ll. A soft pad-I-Z'having a 'length and width suflicient "to form a head-encircling band is then positioned on` the fabric with its inner face engaging. the adhesive side of the fabric and the edge of the fabric folded over the upper edge ofthe: padp As shownin Fig. 3, the other edge ofthegfabric' extends beyond the lower edge of therpaci..v When-'the fabric is foldedaround the lower edgeandY secured thereto the said edge por- 4tionfof the fabric projects upwardly to form a flexible-attaching portion or flange Illa overlying the. outer face.v

In the-preferred Vform of the invention, the soft.- pad is-made from thin strips of vneoprene in theiornlA of aioam or sponge which. is resistant to the action of perspiration and oil. If desired, however-,.natural or other synthetic rubber compositions may be' used. Thispad material is soft, resilient, porous and full of air pockets and isabsorbent. This latter attribute is of particular advantage inA that it will absorb a greater quantity of` perspiration and will tend to make a cooler and drier band thanin theA case of those madeof leather which. it is well known, retain the moisture and havev a clammy feeling when wet.v Forexample, in. onetest the neoprene pad had` a 300% absorptionf as compared to an'18% absorption for leather.` The structureY ofV the present. sweatband alsoenablesthe bands to dry out more. quickly throughfevaporation of the perspiration should the band become wet with .p erslgiirationY r Whileit is;` presently preferred touse foam or sponge material for thepad other porous and absorbent materials: maybe useddepending upon the. quality ot band desired.

Ii-desired,. the attaohingportion [0a of the sweatband can be reenforced. While this'can'be accomplished-.by folding-'over the edge of the strip i0; tot-produce a. double thick-ness flange, it is at presentpreferred. to. employ aY separate fabric strip lf3 .havingV a coating ot heat-sensitive or vtlsiermoplastic adhesive on the `sur-face which is laide-ven and'adhereda tothe face'of the attachflange and adjacent outer face of ther pad as shown in Figs. 3 or 4. 'linie-providesA an attaching Heilige of.;l double thickness a's slown'infFig. 5 through: which. stitching lut-canv pass into the'hat to.r secure its' in.; place:- "lher stitching-- when so arranged will: be: completelyf isolated? from the inner' surtace oi thei-'sweatbandf so" that no moisture. cari; bef transferred throughy thesame to theiliati.'

If it is unnecessary to provide any material to Qverlie the outer face of the sweatband to which will so saturate the pad so as to produceAV a possible danger of perspiration being transferred to the hat, a strip of impervious material l5 such as polyethylene, vinyl chloride; oiled silk or the like material, may be applied to overlie the outer surface of the pad and may be adhered thereto at least along the 4lower edge portion thereof as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

When the required elements of the sweatband have been assembled as `shown in Figs. 3 or 4, it is merely necessaryV to apply heat and pressure to the assemblyV to activate the heat-sensitive adhesive and cause all of the parts thereof to be securely fastened together'in a single operation and without the use of any stitches. I have found vinyl-type adhesive compositions having a low melting pointto be particularly satisfactory for this purposel as they do not close the vvpores of the fabric, when activated, and prevent passage of the perspiration therethrough.

In sweatbands where a reed I6 is to be employed for retaining the shape of theinstalled band, a tube I'l for carrying the reed is preferably formed on the cover prior to the assembly of the pad and fabric byextendingfthe fabric ID of the cover into a' loop below the lower edge so that when the parts |00, I0d of the fabric, Fig. 5, are adhered together, there will be produced automatically the reed-receiving tube in which the reed of wire, gut, silk or the like may be slidably positioned.v

The sweatband, when secured Within the crown of the hat, can have its ends joined together by stitching or any other suitable means. It will be seen, therefore, that the softporous band of the present invention will provide a cool dry surface for contact with the head.. Further, because of the resiliency of the rubber and the fabric which may be bias cut, the band can be made to fit snugly against the head without undue pressure so as to conform to thefshape of the head and yet rebound to its normal position vwhen the hat is removed.

Further-because thevporou'sfcoyer is adhered throughout to the absorbent pad in such a manner that the passage f perspiration therethrough is not impaired, a highly Asatisfactory and sturdy sweatband is produced in accordance with the present invention.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used'without'others.

I claimt' Y y n l. A sweatband for hats comprisingr a soft pad: and a unitary flexible cover for the pad adhering to the upper edgenlthe inner face, the loweredge of the pad and freely projecting upwardly from the lower edge to overlie at least a portionv of an outer face of the pad to form a'ilexible attaching flange for the sweatband whereby the sweatband can be attached to a hat.

2. A sweatband for hats comprising a soft absorbent pad; a porous textilev cover 'extending around and adhered to the upper edge, the inner face, the lower edge of the pad and projecting upwardly from the lower edge to overlie an outer face of the pad to form an attaching1 ange for said band; and a reenforcing member having a (BIS .4. portion secured to the back of the flange and to at least a portion of the outer face of the pad.

v3.. sweatbaid foreliats'bniprising a soft absorbent fpadl a"poro's textile cover extending varound and adhered to the upper edge, the inner face, the lower edge of the pad and projecting upwardly from the lower edge to overlie an outer face of the pad to form an attaching flange for tion, se'cure''ir tothe back of the flange and to at least yap'ortion of the outer face of the pad;

kand anfimpervious member secured to and overlyingl substantially the entire outer face of the pad. im

4. A sweatband for hats comprising a soft ab- As'orbentporouspad. of neoprene; a porous textile cover extending around and adhered by heatsensitive" adhesive` to the upper edge, 'the inner face, the'lower'ledge of the pad and projecting :upwardly from the'lower edge to overlie an'outer 'faceof the pad to forman attaching flange for @said band; and a fabric reenforcing strip having a portion adhered by heat-sensitive adhesive to Vthe back of the I'flange and to a portion of the fouterfface of the* pad.

` `swi'efatban'd for hats comprising a soft pad;

-a textile covenadh'ered to the'upper edge, the

inner face, the lower edge of the pad and having alooped" portion extending below the lower edge of thejpadto form a tubular reed receiving member.' said-'coverhaving' a sweatband attaching portion projecting upwardly from the lower edge of the pad'to overlieat least a portion of'an outer face' of `saidfpad'wh'ereby said sweatband 'can b'e'1attached tov a'hat; and a reed positioned 'in :saidtubular 'member'.

'- the pad, said lcover having a looped portion projecting below'the lower edge of the pad to form a tubular'r'eed receiving member, and having 'a ysweatband 'attaching portion projecting upwardly from the lower edge to overlie an outer 'facefof the-pad; al reed in said tubular portion;

'and fa backing strip having a portion secured to the back of said sweatband attaching portion 'of thee-band and to the outer face of the pad.

7. A sweatband for hats comprising a soft abso'rbe'ntpadof'A porous neoprene; a porous textile 4'cve'extending around and' adhered by heatrsensitive adhesive to the upper edge, the inner face, the lower-edge of the pad and having a looped-portion projecting below the lower edge to form a tubular reed-receiving member, said cover having a sweatband attaching portion projecting upwardly fromthe lower edge to overlie the 'outerfface of the pad; va fabric reenforcing 'strip having" af portion adhesively securedvto the baclc'of"'saidattaching portion of the band and to the outer face of the pad: an impervious strip securdbto the'A pad "to overlie the outer face of the pad; and a reed in said tubular member.

" 1 --s'TANLEY c+.Hor'r'1mlN- K- REFERENCES CITED The Yfollowing,references are of record in the le ofthis, patent: v l

l, '.gg ',.UNITED STATES PATENTS 

